Oregon State were kings of the 2021 Pac 12 Tournament and would ride the wave to the Elite 8. If the Beavers were to duplicate that feat this season, it may be one of the more remarkable upsets in the history of conference tournaments. Oregon State has fallen on hard times, plummeting to 3-27 overall and 1-19 in Pac 12 play.
The Beavers are +15000 to win a tournament that will likely be hotly contested. Arizona, under new leadership in 2022 and ranked second nationally, went 28-3 overall and 18-2 in conference to capture the regular-season crown. Returning Final Four participant UCLA is no slouch while returning Elite 8 participant USC brings in a strong squad that will create matchup problems for its opponents.
Let’s go over all of the available sport betting information and try to find the best NCAAB expert picks to bet on. This field is wide open and will provide a battle for the crown.
Pac 12 Conference Tournament Betting Analysis
Arizona is a relatively heavy favorite
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd has worked wonders in his first season since coming over from Gonzaga. The Wildcats won their first 11 games and collected wins over Big Ten stalwarts Michigan and Illinois to build the resume of a team that is a -125 favorite to win their conference tournament. Arizona’s offensive attack is nearly unmatched nationally.
The Wildcats rank third nationally in scoring offense, putting up 84.7 points per game. Arizona also shoots 49.5 percent from the field, which ranks fifth nationally.
Benedict Mathurin leads the Wildcats’ offense by scoring 17.3 points per game. Kerr Kriisa is the Wildcats’ top 3-point shooter, knocking down a team-high 75 treys at a 35.4 percent clip.
Arizona is entering the tournament following a strong run of play, having won three straight by double figures. The Wildcats kicked off the streak by pummeling a ranked USC team by 20 points on the road.
Blue blood ready to roll
UCLA enters the Pac 12 Tournament on a strong run of play. The Bruins closed the season with three straight wins to seal the second seed and enter the tournament with +175 betting odds to win. UCLA picked up strong wins in the non-conference schedule over Villanova, Marquette, and UNLV.
The Bruins have the benefit of returning most of their team that made a surprising run to the Final Four as a No. 11 seed last season. UCLA guard Johnny Juzang has developed into one of the nation’s top players and leads the Bruins by averaging 16.7 points per game. Juzang, who missed two of the Bruins final three games with an ankle injury, returned in the season finale to help UCLA topple USC.
Juzang has plenty of support from forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., who averages 13.3 points per game and point guard Tyger Campbell, who contributes 11.3 points and 4.3 assists per game.
Winning may be only way they get in
Oregon, which is +800 to win, has been one of the most disappointing Pac 12 teams. The Ducks finished the regular season 18-13 but in fifth place in the conference with a 11-9 conference record. Oregon’s leading scorer Will Richardson, who averages 14.1 points per game, will miss the Pac 12 tournament.
The Ducks will have to lean on Jacob Young and De’Vion Harmon to keep their hopes for a NCAA Tournament bid alive. Oregon struggled down the stretch, even with Richardson, by losing six of its final eight games. The Ducks did give Arizona all it could handle on the road and only lost by three points.
Rest of the field
The USC Trojans finished third in the Pac 12 but are +1000 NCAAB odds to win. USC won its first 13 games this season but failed to impress at the end of the regular season. The Trojans got hammered at home by Arizona and then fell in a rivalry game to UCLA to close the year. Colorado has 20 wins but has been so-so away from Boulder.
The Buffalos are 6-4 in true road games and 2-1 in neutral site games. Arizona State, which is +4000 to win, has snapped out of an early-season hibernation by rallying to win four straight games.
The Sun Devils are 14-16 this season but owns two victories over Oregon and one over UCLA. Arizona State is a team that could sneak up on people as coach Bobby Hurley may be fighting for his job.
Pac 12 Conference Tournament Betting Prediction
Lloyd has reinvigorated a fanbase that could have been down for a long time due to the scandal caused by previous Arizona coach Sean Miller. Whether he brought some of the magic from Gonzaga with him, Lloyd has shown he is capable of assembling a talented Pac 12 program. How far the Wildcats can go in March Madness remains to be seen, but there is no doubt Arizona is a deserving favorite to be in the conference tournament.
If you are going to make NCAAB betting picks, make sure to take the Wildcats to level their competition and add their first Pac 12 tournament title since 2018. UCLA, which split the season series with Arizona, will make things difficult, but the Wildcats’ high-powered offense will be too much for the Bruins.
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